North Oaks Medical Center Physicians Appoint 2019 Medical Executive Committee

Nine area physicians have been selected by their peers to serve on the North Oaks Medical Center Medical Executive Committee for 2019. These officers will serve as liaisons between the North Oaks Medical Staff and North Oaks Health System Board of Commissioners.

Serving as Chief of Staff is Anesthesiologist Michael Cordone, MD. He is a graduate of Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans and fulfilled his internship there. He completed his residency through Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. He served as Chief of Staff Elect in 2018 and chaired the Surgery Department from 2016 to 2017. Certified by the American Board of Anesthesiology, Cordone joined the North Oaks medical staff in 2008.

Chief of Staff Elect is Cardiologist James Parker, MD, FACC, FSCAI. He is a graduate of Louisiana State University (LSU) School of Medicine in New Orleans. He completed an internship, residency and cardiology fellowship through the LSU Health Sciences Center, also in New Orleans. He is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in Internal Medicine and Cardiovascular Disease and also is a fellow of the American College of Cardiology and the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions. He joined the North Oaks medical staff in 2010 and went on to serve as member-at-large on the North Oaks Medical Center Medical Executive Committee from 2015 to 2016. In 2014, he served on the hospital’s Bylaws & Credentials Committee.

Members-at-Large entering their first year of a two-year term are Urologist Jay Heintz, MD, and Family Medicine Physician Scott Picou, MD.

Heintz earned his medical degree from Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans and completed his internship and residency through the University of Maryland in Baltimore. He is certified by the American Board of Urology and joined the North Oaks medical staff in 2012.

Picou earned his medical degree from St. George’s University School of Medicine in True Blue, Grenada. He carried out his internship and residency through the LSU Rural Family Medicine Residency Program at Our Lady of the Angels Hospital in Bogalusa. He joined the North Oaks medical staff in 2015.

Departmental chairpersons entering their second year of a two-year term are as follows:

Family Medicine Physician Smitty Smith, MD, will serve as Family Practice Chairman. He earned his medical degree from LSU School of Medicine in New Orleans. He completed his internship and residency through LSU Health Sciences Center in Bogalusa. He is certified by the American Board of Family Practice and joined the North Oaks medical staff in 2014. He served on the Bylaws and Credentials Committee in 2017.

Hospital Medicine Physician Wonestta Collins, MD, will serve as Medicine Chairman. She joined the North Oaks medical staff in 2015 and earned her medical degree from LSU School of Medicine in New Orleans. She carried out her internship and residency through the University of Alabama in Montgomery.

Obstetrician and Gynecologist Brian Ashford, MD, who is certified by the American Board of Obstetrics & Gynecology, will serve as Obstetrics & Gynecology and Pediatrics Chairman. He earned his medical degree from LSU Health Sciences Center in New Orleans, where he also completed an internship and residency. Ashford, who joined the North Oaks medical staff in 2010, has served on the Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee since 2014.

Ear, Nose and Throat Physician D’Antoni Dennis, MD, who joined the North Oaks medical staff in 2013, will serve as Surgery Department Chairman. He earned his medical degree through LSU Health Sciences Center in Shreveport. He completed an internship and residency in otorhinolaryngology (ear, nose and throat) through LSU Health Sciences Center in New Orleans. He is certified by the American Board of Otolaryngology.

Emergency Medicine Physician Brandon Cambre, MD, will serve as Emergency Medicine Chairman. He earned his medical degree from LSU in Shreveport and completed an internship and residency through the LSU emergency medicine program at the former Earl K. Long Memorial Hospital in Baton Rouge. Cambre, who is certified by the American Board of Emergency Medicine and joined the North Oaks medical staff in 2005, was the Emergency Medicine Committee vice chairman for the hospital’s Medical Executive Committee in 2017. Cambre’s other leadership roles include service on the hospital’s Emergency Medicine Steering Committee in 2009 and the Bylaws and Credentials Committee (2014 vice chairman and 2015-2016 member). Cambre also represents hospitals with more than 100 beds on the Regional Commission of the Louisiana Emergency Response Network (LERN) for Region 9.

For more information about North Oaks Medical Center, contact North Oaks Public Relations at (985) 230-6647. To find a physician, click here or call the North Oaks Physician Referral Line at (985) 230-DOCS (3627).